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LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE 
INVISIBLE 



A Woman's Actual Experi- 
ences in the Fourth Dimension 



By 

M. GIFFORD SHINE 




ALLSHINE PUBLISHERS 
Richmond, Va. 



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Copyright 1911 
ALLSHINE PUBLISHERS 



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©CLA3003Q7 



THE KEY THAT UNLOCKED THE 
DOOR 

THE FIRST JOURNEY 

The Veil of Gold, and the Mysterious Visitor. 






THE SECOND JOURNEY 

A Trip to Southland, a Prophecy. 



THE THIRD JOURNEY 

Raising the Life Vibrations to prepare for entrance into a 

Higher Plane, and the White City, the Secret of 

Health, Strength and Confidence, Touth and 

Perpetual Life, and the Mystery of 

Time and Place. 

THE FOURTH AND FOLLOWING 
JOURNEYS 

Breaking the Spell, and a Healing Mission. 

THE LAST JOURNEY 

The Final Test of Love. 

THE RESTORATION 

CONSUMMATION ON THE EARTH 
PLANE 



LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE 
INVISIBLE 

By M. GIFFORD SHINE 



THE KEY THAT OPENED THE DOOR 

We had recently moved from our old home in the 
country to a town residence, in order to afford my 
sisters a better opportunity to develop and make use 
of their talents. Alice was an artist, and did book 
illustrating ; Stella was a pianist. 

We came to E. — in September. Being alone the 
greater part of the day — I was the homekeeper — I 
improved the time by devoting all I could reserve 
from my housework to the practice of concentration. 
This I had long wished to do, and being in a new 
place where people had not yet begun to "run in" I 
had not the many interruptions that hindered mo 
in my old home. 

I had been reading a good deal in Mental Science 
magazines about the power of concentration for de- 
veloping the higher faculties, and illumining the mind 
to the higher truths. Being a truth-seeker, it all 
appealed strongly to me, and I desired to test this 
science. My deepest desire was to understand life — 
God and his creation — man and nature, and this new 
science gave promise of unlocking all these truths 
to its devotees. And the work I wished most to do, 

4 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 6 

was to help people find happier ways of living. I 
was never happy until this science came to me, the 
world was so full of misery; misery from lack of 
knowledge; and I was so powerless to aid. Now I 
saw that I could help all I pleased, for all that is 
created in the mind plane is objectified in the physical 
plane. The practice proved so delightful that I desired 
more of it. It cleared, rested and strengthened my 
mind, and I did see and understand more than ever 
before. Do you see the meaning of this ? My mind 
had been too full of thoughts, and in the silence of 
concentration I could see and hear and realize what 
was before impossible because of the din of thoughts. 

My sisters were invited to spend the Christmas 
time with certain patrons, and it was arranged that 
I should go to stay with a friend whose acquaintance 
we had made since moving to this place, and where 
we all had a "standing invitation" to present our- 
selves at any time. This was my opportunity; in- 
stead of going away, I determined to have a precious 
experience of solitude and concentration. I thought 
wonderful revelations of truth might be the result 
of my mental development. 

I did not know it but I was unprepared for such 
an undertaking. I did not understand the science 
of Mental Science, and could not explain what hap- 
pened to me. For seven years I have wondered over 
the meanings of these little journeys that I took, some- 
times thinking that they meant certain things and 
at other times seeing a different meaning, and never 
really clearly understanding until now. 



6 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

I have a habit of walking for a short distance up 
and down the street, enjoying the moonlight and visit- 
ing the stars, or if it is cloudy, just listening and 
breathing. To-night it is cloudy, and the new moon 
has vanished in a cloud of mist and my mind is 
thronging with thoughts ; I said, "I must let the 
thoughts go now and listen and rest," and suddenly 
this experience, which was not in my mind and has 
not been for so long a time that I cannot recall when, 
suddenly came to me and the meaning of it. And 
here I will give the meaning after each journey as 
it came to me to-night. 

I will tell you now, that if you wish to take such 
a practice that your experiences will be of as high 
an order as your thoughts. And the usefulness of 
your experiences will be of the quality of your 
thoughts. I did not know it then, and did not know 
how safe I was. Secondly, you must understand 
enough to know what is taking place and not be 
afraid. Remember that thoughts, every one, take 
form, and thoughts of fear will create forms of fear. 
You must have pure thoughts and be able to br-lieve 
whatever you experience is pure, and wait for the 
meaning if you do not see it at first. Unless you are 
sure of all this you will have unpleasant and perhaps 
what you think not good experiences. Now remem- 
ber — you must have a high motive, a pure mind, and 
understand that you cannot see or experience any- 
thing but what corresponds to your thoughts. Unless 
you can do this do not attempt to develop your senses 
above the ordinary planes of consciousness. 



THE FIRST JOURNEY. 

THE VEIL OF GOLD AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE 
MYSTERIOUS VISITOR. 

Mv name is Lily Bell Westing. There is some- 
thing in names; there is not so much chance as ap- 
pears. At least in my own name I can trace my own 
nature. I was born with a natural love for the pure 
and the good, and there was never any attraction for 
me in anything of an opposite nature; nothing but 
distress and abhorrence. To see the opposite in 
others was pain and sorrow, and I could not rest for 
desire to have them see the miserableness of it and 
turn to the pure and good. (That does not mean that 
I had nothing to do for myself, I had enough to keep 
me busy.) What I have mentioned is the Lily part 
of my name. Bell suggests music ; music of bells is 
solemn, sweet, glad, joyous, and all this was in my 
nature, and this was the kind of music I loved best ; 
music that was uplifting. Then Westing; that sug- 
gests the west wind, clear, strong, refreshing, bringing 
brightness and that wonderful charm that makes the 
world look new and beautiful. Is not that a perfect 
symbology of truth? And I was a great lover and 
seeker of truth. And the whole name is suggestive 
of Nature and harmony, and I was a great lover of 
both ; in fact, they were necessary to my health and 
happiness. That is why I need but little of human 



8 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

society and a great deal of Mature and solitude. And 
that is why I love it so; it is both healing and happi- 
ness. 

My sisters had been away a week and I had prac- 
ticed concentration two hours a day for the whole of 
that time. It was my custom to sit in a large, easy 
chair, read the Bible for a few moments, then lean 
my head back and fix my gaze on a flower in the 
border of the wall paper. I was used to letting my 
thoughts ramble so freely that it was not easy to keep 
from thinking. At first the practice stirred up 
thoughts instead of quieting them, and before I was 
aware I would be following some train of thought or 
some memories of things experienced, read, heard or 
seen. But I stood to it and persisted in trying to 
hold my mind clear of all thoughts. Christmas Eve 
had arrived and nothing had resulted except a refresh- 
ing and strengthening of my mind. "That is all there 
ever will be for me in this," I said ; "I haven't the 
kind of mind that can develop anything else." But 
I decided to improve all the time that this occasion 
offered me. My sisters would be away two weeks 
longer, and I continued the practice, increasing it to 
three hours a day and finding the time short and most 
delightful. 

Part of lliis time was now used to fix my mind on 
e subject on which I wished light, and though 
nothing Beemed to conic of thai at the time, T found 
that later new understanding illumined my mind. 
I was disappointed at the time, not knowing that the 
mind has to be trained in the higher plane as well as 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 9 

in the physical. In after time the light came when 
I was meditating. Part of this was was used to send 
healing currents to help the sick and unhappy. This 
practice filled me so full of vitality that I fairly 
ached to dispose of it ; my hands throbbed and prick- 
led, and I would stand up and reach out my hands 
while I sent my thought to people whom I knew, that 
needed help, and then to universal humanity. 

On Christmas Eve I read the Christmas story and 
then took my practice, having fastened all the doors 
and all the windows except two in the room where 
I sat; these were lowered about two inches from the 
top for ventilation. There was a cheery wood fire 
on the hearth. By ten o'clock the noises in the street- 
had died away, and there was no sound without, it 
being a wonderfully calm night. Within, the quiet 
ticking of the little clock on the mantel and the 
nickering of the hearth-fire like softest whisperings, 
with now and then a sudden snap and crackle was 
all that broke the restful silence. 

I raised the shade and looked out; the stars were 
shining brightly, and the black boughs of the motion- 
less trees just outside the window loomed twice their 
real size in the darkness. The midnight hour is my 
special delight ; I love the hush and peace that broods 
over the earth when busy mortals have closed their 
eyes in sleep. I decided to give myself the rare treat 
of remaining up until midnight. At eleven, I closed 
my eyes and gave myself up to the charm of the hour 
and the time. Presently a brisk wind sprang up 



10 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

and increased until the trees waved their branches 
wildly and dashed against the house. The elements 
seemed engaged in a midnight carousal. 

The harder it blew and the louder it roared the 
deeper the silence seemed within; even the fire had 
died down and only sent up a tongue of flame now 
and then. I closed my eyes again and listened to 
the wild music without. Wilder and wilder the wind 
raved, but I was wrapt in a great calm. 

Suddenly a strange feeling caused me to open my 
eyes. One side of the room where there were no 
windows was a moving mass of golden scintillating 
atoms ; a sort of shadowed gold with bright par- 
ticles shining out. I was greatly amazed and could 
not believe my eyes. I had previously removed the 
light to the dining-room and raised a shade that I 
might watch the writhing trees and the stars spark- 
ling in rifts of the driving cloud wracks. I looked at 
the fire on the hearth — it was ashes ; T looked toward 
the window, inky blackness. Where then, did the 
light come from that created the strange illusion ? 

T looked toward the wall again; still the moving 
mass scintillated with a sort of waving motion. Pre- 
sently it began to arrange into geometrical form;-!. 
This was very curious and interesting. Next, beauti- 
ful flowers appeared, more beautiful than any earthly 
flowers; singly, in clusters, in garlands and in show- 
ers. Following these, beautiful faces looked out, 
children's and maiden's; they were tossing the flow- 
ers. Some of them looked at me with bright and 
loving countenances. Then it all dissolved. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 11 

I was sure I was awake. I got up, stirred the fire 
a little, stretched myself, took a look out of the 
window and resumed my comfortable position in the 
big chair, wondering if there would be anything more. 
I fixed my attention upon the Avail, but nothing ap- 
peared. Then I dozed off and knew nothing more 
until I awoke with a start, hearing the clock strike 
one. Instantly a flash of white light revealed a tall 
figure coming swiftly toward me; like a flash it 
reached me and folded me closely in its arms. With 
a great sigh of happiness it said, "So long I have 
watched over you and waited ; at last the time has 
come." 

I sensed at that moment that I, too, had long 
watched and waited and as though this was no 
stranger, but a dear one who had always been with 
me, but invisible. I was filled with a great content ; 
my whole being from inmost to outmost glowed and 
pulsated with light and love. 

"We are one," this being said, "'united forever." 

The clock struck two. I was alone again • the mov- 
ing wall had vanished; all was as usual. The fire 
was out, but I was not chilly. I closed the windows, 
took the lamp in the dining-room and went to my 
chamber and was soon asleep. I was not in the least 
disturbed by my strange experience; not the least 
excited, but was wrapt in a deep calm. I did 
not realize how very strange it all was until 
the next day, then marvelled over it much. The 
marvel of it was that I was awake. At last some- 
thing had resulted from my practice. But what did 



12 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

it mean ? I was a goad deal disturbed about it, for 
I did not want any person to come to me from the 
invisible. I was pleased with the golden wall and its 
figures and flowers ; what I could see independent of 
myself pleased me. but not to be in it. I could not 
explain it then, but to-day this is what I see: 

By my j^ractice I had raised my consciousness to 
a higher plane of vibration, which means a higher 
plane of realization ; the figures and flowers are the 
first things one sees on the threshold of that plane. 
All thoughts are in form • the geometrical figures were 
the orderly reasoning or putting together of different 
forms of truth. The flowers were the thought forms 
of the love of Xature, and the forms of loving 
thoughts ; the faces the thought-forms of the love of the 
bright and pure and good and beautiful in humanity. 
And the figure was truth symbolized in human form. 
Truth symbolized as a whole is always in a human 
form ; in parts it is symbolized by the variety of 
things that go to make up the world and humanity. 
Through my concentration the time had come when 
truth could be revealed to me; my mind had been 
opened in an inner way into a higher plane. This 
as I see it now is the meaning of the first journey. 



SECOND JOURNEY. 

A TRIP TO SOUTHLAND A PROPHECY. 

I practiced concentration the next night out of 
curiosity to see if anything would happen again; I 
had a feeling that the experience was a happening 
and that nothing more would come. Nothing came, 
and I went quietly and serenly to bed, and to sleep. 
I do not know how long I slept when I was suddenly 
awakened by something. I opened my eyes ; there 
was the moving golden wall at the side of the room 
next the bed. The figures came and the flowers came, 
and then figures of animals ; cattle, more beautiful 
than I could have imagined it possible for cattle to be. 
They passed from left to right and looked at me as 
they passed by. Such fine, strong, gentle, intelligent 
faces. It did me good to look at them. They were 
followd by horses, splendid creatures beyond words 
to describe. They passed by in perfect order an 
quietly, and returned swiftly. The cattle did not 
return. 

Farther to the right I all at once espied a most 
striking spectacle, a row of venerable gray beards, 
reaching from my right hand down into the back- 
ground of my vision. Silent and motionless, each 
?rith lowered eyes, yet I felt as though the gaze of 
wery one of them was fixed intently upon me. They 

13 



14 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

looked so thoughtful that it seemed that they were 
suggesting some thought to me. The nearest looked 
the oldest and the wisest. Some power floated me 
toward them, yet no one moved or spoke. 

I was greatly impressed by these figures and 
studied them closely, wondering what they were 
going to do, or what they were doing. "They are 
my protectors," was my thought, "my guardians." 
(They were my wisest thoughts.) There was a feel- 
ing of security in their presence. Then the moving 
wall parted softly as though blown back by a zephyr, 
and I was beyond it in a beautiful summer country. 

But the next instant the bright landscape became 
dim — because of my displeasure in being there. 
Afraid to venture beyond the veil of gold, the wise 
old men were forgotten and everything except that 1 
did not wish for any experiences personally, in the 
invisible. While standing there not knowing how to 
get back and feeling impelled onward, a figure ap- 
proached. I knew that it was my friend of the previ- 
ous night. I was still more disturbed. Instantly he was 
beside me ; not like a flash of light as before, but in- 
distinct like the country about me. J sensed that he 
had come to take me into this country. I did not 
want to see it, and only desired to get back to the 
Other side of the veil. 

"Come with me 5 " aid mv friend in the gentlest 
of voices; kt It is a beautiful country." He could 

sense my love for the beautiful. 

Though reading a good deal about people wi> > 
travelled in the Invisible, both imaginary and real 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 15 

experiences, I had no desire to explore the higher 
planes of thought. My desire was for revelation, not 
phenomena. "I do not like this," was my complaint , 
"and have no wish to go anywhere, or to see visions ; 
I did not know concentration would do anything like 
this." 

"Yon will like pleasant experiences," my friend 
said quietly, and quietly we moved on. 

"I will not be forced to go anywhere," was my 
declaration, "and people do not have all pleasant 
experiences." That was really the cause of my 
fears. 

"You will have only pleasant ones," said my com- 
panion ; "see, there is nothing to disturb you." 

"Nothing in sight, but I may come to something." 

"There is nothing to fear, and we are going to see 
this beautiful country," was the reply. 

Then discovering that we were in a carriage driv- 
ing along a dim country road, I cried, "You must 
not take me away in this fashion." 

The carriage stopped. My friend did not speak, 
but let me sense his grief over my behavior. I did not 
like to leave him so. He sat there, sad and silent, 
and much disturbed me. "If you could only trust 
me," he sighed after a time. 

"I will go," was my decision at last, "and trust 
that you mean to take good care of me and know all 
about this strange country, and I will trust to God 
to get me out of it all right." 

We proceeded quietly after that; it was a long 
drive, all country road. Sometimes I could see a 



16 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

horse, and sometimes no horse was visible. My com- 
panion talked little; pointing out special places of 
interest or beauty. Onlv once he said, "You see, 
there is nothing to harm or frighten you." 

"TvTot yet/' was my reply, fearing momently there 
might something appear, finally becoming interested 
in the country which grew more beautiful, and at 
last tropical. ""Why," I exclaimed, we are down 
south somewhere ! It looks like pictures of Florida." 

"Yes," my friend said, "it is Florida." 

We stopped at the entrance of a fine estate, alighted 
and entered, walking through the most beautiful 
grounds, all luxuriously ornamented with tropica] 
tress, shrubbery and flowers. I was full of interest 
now, waiting to see what would come next. Was this 
my friend's place ? 

A very old man, in a broad-brimmed panama hat 
and carrying a sunshade, came up the walk and with- 
out a trace of surprise greeted us, shaking hands with 
each one. He showed us about the grounds, and told 
us about the different things growing there, my 
thought was, that we would go to the house and see the 
rest of the family, and have lunch and may be visit 
there a day or two, but after a little rest on the piazza 
my friend took leave of the old man. "Must we go so 
soon?" I asked, the place so charmed me. 

The old man Beemed to hear what I said; "You 
will come again," he said with a parting handshake. 
Theu lie Beemed to grow dimmer and dimmer and 
to melt into the shrubbery. "That's queer," I re- 



LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 17 



marked, "the way lie went out of sight. And it is 
queer to come away down here for such a short time." 

My companion was silent. Do you see where my 
mistake was all the way through ? I should have 
been silent and attentive that my mind might he re- 
ceptive to receive the lessons being given me. In- 
stead of that I was fretting and worrying and rebel- 
ling ; my mind was not pure enough to trust. I had 
not the knowledge that it was not possible for any- 
thing to happen to me except what was created 
by my thoughts and what my thoughts attracted from 
others' thoughts of like kind. My companion's 
silence was a suggestion to me, but my mind was so 
occupied that it could not get the impression. 

As soon as we started on the return trip my mind 
was busy again fearing something unpleasant; "Be- 
fore we get through there will be something un- 
pleasant, may be something hideous," I thought, and 
could only half enjoy the country, because the condi- 
tions were not right. While watching sharply, trying 
to see ahead, not to be surprised by any unfavorable 
change, and yet trying not to see, because if 
there was anything unpleasant I did not wish to 
see it. We were at the top of a hill with a beautiful 
landscape before us, but my eyes were peering into 
the shadows. "There it is !" I exclaimed ; "I knew we 
should see something bad before we got back." 

On the ground, in the road there was a dark looking 
object; some kind of a creature; like indistinct hor- 
rors we see in dreams. I expected it would rise up 
and attack us when we reached it. We kept going 



18 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 



on and no word was spoken to me. It was like a 
nightmare. As we came quite near, the object rolled 
over into the grass in the clear light and there was re- 
vealed not a hob-goblin, but the sweetest and most 
beautiful laughing little child I had ever looked upon. 

My companion turned toward me and smiled 
quietly, "You see/' he said. 

I was immensely relieved, but still not convinced. 
"This may be done just to quiet me," I said to my- 
self. It was so strongly impressed on my mind that 
this psychic realm was a dangerous place and tilled 
with hob-goblins and delusions that I dared not trust 
my companion. He, too, might be a delusion and 
appear later in some dreadful guise. Now you see 
what I mean when I tell you to beware of attempting 
to enter this realm unless you have a pure mind, free 
from belief in evil, and vith faith or knowledge 
enough to trust to the good only. I was afraid be- 
cause I did not understand. There are a certain class 
of teachers who tell their pupils all about the various 
kinds of creatures inhabiting this realm, and the 
dangers associated with them, but what they neglect 
to tell them, either because they do not know, them- 
selves, or for sonic other reason, is, that there is 
nothing there bul your own thoughts and like thoughts 
of others, and thai nothing has any power except 
whal you give it. These creatures have no life of 
their own. Think with how many images your mind 
is filled, for every thoughl is in a form corresponding 
to it, ugly or beautiful. And when the mind is dis- 
ordered these forms become exaggerated and com 



LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." IS* 



bined in strange ways. Inebriates and sick people 
are tormented by them, and ail conditions of dis- 
ordered minds are open to these visitants. If it was 
known what they were they might be gotten rid of* 
You do not know they are yourself, but think you arc 
taken possession of by some super-natural thing or 
things. 

Now as to the meaning of this second journey, 
there is a great deal to it, and not one whit of it did 
I get at the time; it was all lost on me. It would 
have told me so much, of my future life if my mind 
have received the lesson. In the first place this 
whole experience was a lesson that taught me the 
power of concentration, but not being able to see it I 
only tried to get away from the conditions of my own 
creation. l\Tow this is how things were: I wished 
simply to open my mind to receive truth ; a little con- 
centration would have done that, but I made the mis- 
take of concentrating too much, thinking the more 
the better, and the more my mind would be developed. 
But my mind was raised into the consciousness of the 
thought realm, or psychic world or "plane" as we say. 
States of vibration develop consciousness and I had 
developed consciousness of the objective thought- 
world. This earth is also the objective thought-world, 
the first conscious plane, but it is familiar and com- 
mon to us ; the next plane is almost unknown and 
strange and not understood, so we fear it or make 
wrong use of it. 

Then this second experience was a double prophecy. 
Several years later I went to Florida and visited the 



20 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

place seen in my vision. That explains the first 
prophecy; the second was that my life was chang- 
ing to more harmonious conditions and that 
I was to be accompanied by a friend full of love 
and faith, sure that only good could come to us. This, 
too, soon came true. And when he came I had a like 
experience, and was possessed with the same spirit of 
distrust and doubt. I did not doubt his love or 
sincerity, but looked into the dim, near future and 
feared unpleasant experiences in my affairs. I did 
not understand enough to be confident and at rest. 
So I had to have the mixed experiences. And the 
most threatening thing that I met in my progress, 
did resolve itself into something as bright and beauti- 
ful as the little child. 



THE THIRD JOURNEY. 

RAISING THE LIFE VIBRATIONS TO PREPARE FOR 

ENTRANCE INTO A HIGHER PLANE, AND THE 

WHITE CITY. 

I said to myself after the second experience, "If I 
am going to be taken in hand like this there will be 
not more concentration and practice. But I was 
deeply disappointed. I reasoned and reasoned about 
it : How could anything bad happen to any one prac- 
ticing concentration, who looked to God to take care of 
them and fortified their mind by reading the Bible ? 
This was the greatest problem that ever confronted 
me. I had been taught to believe that evil spirits 
could come to people and make themselves appear 
like angels of light, and though not believing it, 
since coming into Mental Science, yet that old belief 
was a foundation upon which to build my present 
fears, for in spite of my disbelief here I was in a 
strange case and not knowing the meaning or how to 
right things. I had concentrated too much physically 
and raised the physical vibrations, while my mind 
only, should have been concentrated. Instead of look- 
ing steadily at the wall paper or any object for an 
hour at a time I should simply have entered into the 
silence and waited there for revelation. This practice 
I have followed for years and it develops conscious- 
ness of the Divine and clear seeing of truth, with no 
objective accompaniments. 



22 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE. 



But now I reasoned and reasoned : "If meditating 
on God and the Bible develops such conditions what 
am I to think ?" It never occurred to me to take into 
consideration the physical practice, so I missed the 
secret of it all. However, I could not let go of God and 
the Bible as they were my strongholds and without 
them I was lost. So I read and meditated and said, 
"There will be nothing." I retired at ten o'clock 
and was soon asleep, putting every thought of my 
strange experiences out of mind, as I had all the even- 
ing. I awoke at some time of the night with that 
uncanny feeling which I had learned to know pre- 
saged my strange experiences. In his swift and silent; 
fashion my friend came. I sensed in his presence 
the greatest love and tenderness. This seemed to 
be meant to reassure me, but it on the contrary dis- 
turbed me the more ; it seemed to me this was being 
used to persuade me against my judgment. I knew 
immediately there was some business on hand. I 
opened my eyes, looked about the room and out of 1 he 
window, hoping to dissolve the spell. The clock 
struck one. I began to feel a deep sadness : "You 
will not go with me to-night," my friend said ever 
.iiy. 

"I do not like this," I replied; "you come whether 

wished for or not, and over-persuade me by making 

' ( 1 that yon fed dreadfully. I think that ibis is 

food and you ought not to persuade me against 

•urnce." 

"I have a greal work to do to-night," he said, iC nn<\ 
•■■ at work for humi 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 23 

"Yes/' I said to myself, "he sees my great 
love for helping humanity and so he will persuade 
me that way." And yet, not being sure that I 
was right, and for fear that what he said was true and 
my unwillingness might prevent some great work in 
the invisible, and suspecting that I should find myself 
going anyway without being able to help it, I made 
no further protest. My consent was received with the 
sweetest thanks without words, just the sense of it, 
and then the work began. I could not see what this 
special work was and do not know to this day, but it 
needed our united life currents to send out in the 
world to do the work. I was directed to lie perfectly 
still and relaxed. Then began the sensation of the 
life currents the same as when practicing 
concentration, but stronger than I had ever 
experienced. The life essence speeds through 
the mind down to the solar plexus like a 
flash of light, and there enters the circulation and ebbs 
and flows up and down through the whole body in a 
strong tide. The tide grew stronger and stronger, 
and the up-going tide was so strong I was afraid the 
circulation would become unbalanced and something 
would happen to my head. My companion could read 
my thoughts and feelings without any help of words, 
and as soon as I had formulated this fear and said to 
myself, "I would not have anything happen to my 
head for worlds ; I have always had a good head," 
my friend said, "Think of my love ; keep your mind 
on that and fear nothing; all will be well. If you 
let your fears hinder, it will take so much longer." 



24 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

"Yes," I said again to myself, "think of his love ! 
he has so much love for what he wishes to do that he 
will not mind what happens to me, and if it is a 
failure and my head not strong enough I may be a 
mental wreck or maybe die." 

"There is no danger of any harm," said my com- 
panion again, "keep perfectly relaxed and think of 
my love and nothing else." 

It seemed to me that it was a long process and I 
tried to help it along. I found if my mind wandered 
the tides were slow ; so I tried to obey orders and also 
to help go faster when the work was slow. Then 
when the currents were strong I was afraid again. 

"Do not try to do anything," I was directed, "and 
do keep your mind on the thought of my love." 

"We shall never get through if I do not keep my 
mind fixed," I thought, and made a special effort to 
do as directed. "I will keep to it and trust that my 
head will not burst," I said, as there seemed to be no 
choice, but to cither keep on indefinitely or to get 
through by letting things go as they would. So I 
stood to it and just when I thought my head was 
going to burst, my companion said with a long, joyful 
sigh, "It is done." 

Again the sweetest of thanks was given to me with- 
out words, and I was alone in my room. I slipped 
out of bed and stood on my feet to see if all was 
right with me, finding myself rather light- 
headed, and my feet seemed to have no weight. X 
felt strong and buoyant; such a physical vitality [ 
had never enjoyed. But my feel seemed loo light 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 25 

to keep on the floor. I pressed hard with them and 
rubbed my head and felt more natural. I looked out 
of the window, walked about a little and returned to 
bed. I was almost asleep when the clock struck two 
and back came my strange friend, and we began to 
move out beyond the moving curtain on my wall. 
There were the horses, but they looked pale and weak 
and moved unsteadily; then they came back rushing 
and fiery and disorderly. There were the wise-looking 
men ; they, too, had changed ; they moved their heads 
restlessly up and dow w r/and looke troubled. "It is 
my fears and displeasures," I said to myself, "that 
hafetcaiised this," realizing that it /al fywa^ a picture 
of my mind, and it made me sad to think I had been 
the means of it, yet I did not know how to help it. 
Passing by, the wise men raised their eyes and gave 
me a reproachful look. "I am so sorry," I cried. 
"What shall I do ? What can I do ?" 

They did not speak. We passed from this vestibule 
over the threshold into that world which I had visited 
once before. We stood on the shore ; on a white beach, 
and there was a white boat like a canoe anchored 
there. I knew instantly that it was waiting for 
myself and my companion. 

I will say here that I never saw this being dis- 
tinctly, and part of the time he was invisible, but I 
could sense his presence. Sometimes he appeared as 
a being of light, sometimes dim. Sometimes I was 
very conscious of his presence and of his thoughts and 
at other times I was not sure that he was with me 



26 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

until he spoke. While he was working with the life 
tides he seemed to be at my head, but I could not see 
him; now, I could hardly sense his presence and 
could not see him. "Take hold of mj hand," I said, 
"and do not leave me," becoming possessed of a 
fear of losing him in this strange country, and then be 
lost myself. I had lost God, and that was what made 
me afraid, and feel that things were not right. If I 
could have sensed God in all this, even if I had been 
afraid it would have been a different kind of fear. 
It seems that in some way I am to know every 
emotion that humanity is heir to, and may be my 
hold on God was so sure that this was the only way 
I could experience anything akin to despair; I had 
met want, failure and death, and that which is more 
bitter than death, the giving up of that which is 
dearest in one's earth life, but I had not lost God. 
Now I came the nearest to experiencing despair, for 
God did not answer, and could not bo found in this 
strangeness. Twice I had seen faces among the beau- 
tiful ones in the gold curtain that aroused my suspi- 
cion inquiry, and when asked "Did God send you?" 
they vanished as though blown out like the blaze of a 
lamp, or a gas or electric light when the current 
irned off. But when I tested my companion with 
this question he did not answer, and his silence 
bled me. Bui lie did not vanish like the heads, 

"Take hold of my hand," I said as we stood on the 
[o'nol let me lose you." 

••I am always beside you," he said. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 27 

Then I ventured, "I thought we were through for 
this night; it seems as though we have done enough." 

My complaint was not answered. I sensed a new 
motion. It was like being on water. Yes, we were in 
the white hoat and moving away from the heach. In 
the physical world I was very fond of boating, but 
here was more afraid than when journeying on 
land. "If I must go I would rather go as we did 
before," I said. My words were spoken into the air, 
for I could see no one, and no one was holding my 
hand. No one replied. "If you are here, do let me 
know in some way," I begged. "I cannot endure this 
alone." 

Ever so indistinctly a figure was outlined in the 
bow of the boat, and then I saw nothing. Some 
one seemed to be beside me, and then there seemed 
to be no one there. The boat floated along 
the shore and it was very beautiful, like a river. It 
was shadowy where we were, but brighter ahead. "T 
want nothing to do with visions," I said. 

"Only our own," was the quiet reply. 

"I like to see beautiful things but not to go any- 
where," I said. "It is so strange and I do not under- 
stand, and I am afraid something will happen and 
I shall not be able to get back." 

"All will be well; you will go for my sake, and 
you will trust me," was the reply. 

"I have read that if those who leave the earth 
forget, they can never return. I fear that I shall 
forget." 



28 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

"You will not forget; you have only to think of 
my love and all will be well." 

I tried to see if I still remembered. Yes, I was 
in my room, and could see every object in the; 
dim light that came from the window. I heard the 
ticking of the clock, the wind in the trees, the stamp- 
ing of the horses in a neighboring stable. How 
strange; here I was in my chamber, and there I 
was in a boat gliding through a summer country. 
A child in the next house cried out sharply as in 
affright, like one having the nightmare. It 
cried for some moments and then appeared to be 
soothed to sleep. "I must remember that in the 
morning to prove that I was not asleep," I said to 
myself. Then looking back to the river, the shadows 
had deepened. "I do not see you, but I know you 
are here," I said to break the silence and make sure 
T was not alone. 

"Our work is one, and we must never be separated," 
said my invisible companion. I was comforted; we 
were not to be separated as I feared. There was a feel- 
ing that at any moment he might vanish and I be un- 
able to find him. It was so beautiful there that I 
wished for more light, but instead it grew darker and 
the mirror-like surface of the river became ruffled and 
the boat began lo rock a little. The shadows of the 
b;niks look strange shapes. Then a light began to 
grow high up on the left bank, the shadows parted 
cither side of the light and 1 beheld the crucified 
Savior on the cross. Then the shadows closed again. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 29 

I . 

i After a silence, oppressed with the sadness and 
solemnity of the vision, I asked, "Why do they have 
that up there in this beautiful place ?" 

"There is always the cross where love is," was 
the answer, "there is always sacrifice in love." 

My fears all rose up in full force ; what was I being 
taken to ? It was so dark now and the water growing 
rougher ; it was sad among the shadows, but now we 
seemed to have passed from the river to a wider and 
wilder expanse of water and waves loomed out 
of the darkness. A dreadful forboding took posses- 
sion of me. Was it the valley of the shadow of death 
we had entered, and were we out on the ocean now 
where it was to grow wilder until we were wrecked ? 

The boat lurched dangerously, but no word was 
spoken by my companion and I did not speak again, 
I was beyond words, there we were and what was to 
be would be and no help for it. I never give up ; 
whatever threatens I always feel that there is a 
way out, and though this was so uncanny and 
horrible, yet I was going to struggle as long as con- 
sciousness was left me; I was not going to give up 
mentally that I was to drown. In my mind was the 
question whether I was really to be drowned or to be 
taken out at the last moment. Hoping beyond hope 
that I was to be rescued, I tried to imagine that the 
next lurch would not upset the boat, nor the next, that 
the worst was over and the water beginning to calm, 
but the waves grew higher and higher and a great 
storm raged, and presently I found myself in the 
water and sinking down, down, down. 



30 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

All through this dreadful experience I appeared to 
be alone; there was no consciousness of the presence 
of my companion. ITow I wondered if I was actually j 
to die or if something else was to happen to me at 
the last moment before I was quite gone. It appeared 
that I was really drowned and losing consciousness ; 
I felt smothered and weak. Just at the instant I 
said to myself, "Yes, I am really to die. God save 
me!" there was a pause, and instead of losing con- 
sciousness I was relieved, and the storm ceased. ~Not 
knowing what was taking place I presently saw a 
little light and then sensed a motion as though I was 
again in a. boat; it gleamed white like the canoe we 
had set out in. Dimly ahead were the outlines of 
birds like large swans that seemed to be towing the 
boat. Then a light opened beyond and there were great 
white swans gliding about and beautiful river scenery. 
"~Now," I said to myself, "have I really died and is 
this heaven I am coming to, or am I still alive and 
this some more of the strange country ?" 

Oh, joy! there was my friend seated in the boat, 
calmly looking out over the river just as when we 
first started. And then I recalled his words given to 
me probably for my comfort almost at the beginning 
of the dark time, "We must never be separated." 
jITow quickly I had forgotten and imagined I was 
alone! And what did the experience mean to him? 
And did he think we were to be drowned? 

The boat grazed on the white beach and we stepped 
out on to solid land. Ii was Buch a relief to find thai 
the trial by water was over. I would have liked to 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 31 



Irun away from the shore as fast as my feet would 
parry me, but this was a country where my own will 
tould not be exercised, and I walked quietly beside my 
3ompanion, and was much interested to discover 
whether I was alive or dead. We had landed at a 
beautiful place all robed in the living green of spring. 
(The houses were surrounded with trees, 
shrubbery and flowers. "This is where I would like 
to live," I said, "let -us find a house and stay here." 
It was such a natural looking place and so home- 
like, and just my ideal of a place to live. I forgot 
for the time my earth life. 

There was no reply to my remarks, but my com- 
panion seemed to be looking attentively about the 
place. The people in the streets looked very bright 
and happy, and they looked at us in a friendly way. 
They were busy about their affairs, going to market, 
etc. Some fine cattle came that way ; they looked so 
mild and were so beautiful that I exclaimed and 
stopped to admire them. People came along with 
baskets and fed them. 

Presently we left this place. I asked no ques- 
tions, but thought, "perhaps there are no vacant houses 
'here," having a presentiment that we were 
seeking a place to live. There was nothing I so much 
dreaded as entering that boat, but we entered it and 
went a little farther along and visited another place. 
After looking at several places all similar, I noticed 
as we clairnbed the hill-slope from the beach to a new 
place, a house with closed shutters. "May be that 
house is vacant," I said, hoping earnestly that it was. 



32 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 



We went close to it and my companion tried the 
shutter,s but they would not open. "This is not the 
place/' he said. 

We Avalked away. Out in the green field my com- 
panion stopped, and seemed to be deeply thinking. 
Then he took my hands and holding them gently, 
but firmly said, "Look up now, and think of my 
love." 

I obeyed, much wondering what was to come next. 
We began to rise ; softly, gently. "Yes," I said to 
myself, "it is true Ave have died and are now going 
to heaA r en." I looked down to see if the earth Ave 
had left Avas still in sight ; then Avith a gasp of fright 
that I had forgotten so long, I remembered my room 
and tried to see if I Avas still there. Yes, I was 
there in bed and could hear all the familiar sounds, 
and Avondered that they seemed more distinct 
and noticeable than ordinarily. Daylight was begin- 
ning to come in at the AvindoAv; some men were in a 
stable near by harnessing horses, and a heavy team 
came out and passed by. I heard the men making 
remarks about the cold and they struck their hands 
together to warm them. 

Some one sighed, "If you would only look up; Ave 
shall never arrive if you do not look up." 

Well, I should be very glad of that, but I must 
look up to please him. Then there seemed to be a 
long time that I was alternately looking up and look- 
ing down. The quiet monotony of looking up into 
apace left my mind to drift downward and set me 1o 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 33 

thinking and reasoning about various things, till 
recalled by my companion, At last becoming weary 
of it and wishing for rest. I said as much to my 
companion. "Is your body tired ?" he asked me. 
Thinking about it, I replied, "No, my body is resting 
comfortably all this time, but my mind is tired." 

"Then look up, keep looking up and we shall 
soon be there/' he said. 

"QBut I am afraid by looking up all the time I 
shall forget." 

"Trust me; oh! trust me and let us go on/' he 
begged. 

"I will make a business of it, and get through with 
it," I said, "for I see that there is no other end to 
this performance." So I made a special effort to 
keep looking up, and so long as I continued 
to look up and to keep my mind on it we rose 
steadily, and when I looked down and let my thoughts 
descend we stood still. Realizing then why it 
was taking so long to get to wherever we were going, 
I made a desperate effort and at last we reached 
land. Awe-struck now and looking for strange 
things, for I thought we must be making a visit to 
heaven, even if we had not died, looked about 
with great interest. All that was visible was the 
dim outlines of what seemed to be gates in the 
distance. 

It is odd that the first thing that came into my 
mind was St. Peter. Having found that thoughts came 
to me so often just as something was about to appear 
I expected to see St. Peter next, but no St. 



34 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 



Peter was visible. At first* the gates looked likej ■ 
metal, then like stone and as we drew still nearer! 
they appeared to be of wood, and then of old wood I; 
and then one side dissolved from view and we entered! 
a white, silent city. 

I wondered if I would see God, and presently ap>- 
peared what looked like a great white throne. I wa s 
over-powered with such a sense of awe at the thought 
that God might be seated on that throne, and could 
hardly approach it. There was a soft beautiful light- 
radiating from the midst of the throne. I wished, 
yet feared to see. It seemed to me that I would not 
be able to behold the vision. Slowly drawing nearer, 
I was at once relieved and disappointed to see no one 
on the throne; only the soft, bright light. But I 
seemed to leel a great, grand presence, and thought 
perhaps God was there but veiled from my sight be- 
cause of my inability to behold him. I stood there 
some moments hoping, and fearing every instant that 
I would discern something. But that was all, an 
invisible presence led me away from the place. 

Then my friend was with me and we were moving 
through the wide entrance to the city. The houses, 
streets and all were purest white ; the moving figures 
were in white; the atmosphere was white. The 
most striking thing was the silence; there was no 
sound of any voice or footfall or anything. My 
friend looked about carefully, and soon stopped at a 
tall house not far from the gate. The instant we 
stopped before the door of this house it opened and 
a young man stood there as though he was expecting 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 35 

us. Over his arm were white garments, and in his 
hand he held a candle; a lighted candle. The man 
did not speak ; he gave one garment to my companion 
and one to me. 

The thought went through my mind. We 
ought to remove our garments before putting on 
these, but we can't out here/' and it seemed that 
the man was waiting for us to put them on. I looked 
at my companion and he was already robed in his 
garment. I slipped mine over my head and found 
that as soon as it was on, the old garments had dis- 
appeared. The man now turned, still without a word 
and went into the house and we followed ; he led the 
way up a flight of stairs ; and then another, and then 
another. It seemed so much like a repetition of our 
experience in going up that I began to think this 
was another long seige. However, we did finally 
arrive at a stopping place ; the man paused before a 
door, opened it, put the candle in my companion's 
hand, gently pushed us in, and the door closed. 

There was nothing in the room but a small table 
and a couch. The room was all white. My com- 
panion placed the candle on the table and then led 
me to the couch; "Now rest," he said. We rested 
there in the silence ; no word was spoken. To me it 
was a most grateful rest and a great relief. I felt 
that my trials were ended and I could rest in peace, 
and did not even wonder what would come after we 
left this place. I seemed to sleep and wake, 
and sleep and wake, opening my eyes from 



36 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

time to time to see if my companion was still with 
me and contemplating his face which expressed the 
most perfect repose. 

As I turned myself on the conch, bringing my 
face toward the wall I saw what I had not noticed 
before; a shaft of white marble as high as a man's 
head and flat at th.c top, quite near the head of the 
conch. As I looked a soft beam of light slanted 
down toward it from the ceiling, and while I wond- 
ered, a plate and cup silently glided down this 
beam of light and rested on the marble shaft. A 
hand was holding the plate as it came down. 

There was bread on the plate and wine in the cup. 
The Sacrament ! And it had come to us ! Reverently 
I took the plate from its resting place and turned to 
my companion. He had opened his eyes, but made 
no comment. We partook of the bread and wine in 
silence, and I returned the cup and plate to the shaft. 
There was a moment's silence that seemed to me as 
though we were receiving a blessing, and then the 
hand appeared and drew the plate and cup up the 
beam of light and all disappeared. 

Still no word was spoken; we rested again for a 
little time, the sweetest rest I ever experienced, and 
then the door opened, and the young man appeared 
and took the candle. My companion arose and 
raised me up and we followed our guide down, down, 
down, until wo reached the street. There we passed 
out silently, and out of the city where I had supposed 
we were to travel about and remain for some time, 
out to the green hill-slope outside the gates. We 



■ 



LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 37 



began to descend. Then I spoke: "Oh! dear, we 
have all that tedious journey to go over again." But 

Pall at once I found myself in my room. 
"It never takes so long to return as to go/' said 
my friend. Then he gave me his usual sweet thanks 
and departed. 

This beautiful experience made me regret deeply 
my doubts, fears and complainings. I realized that 
something was being revealed to me, in regard to my 
future life, and the meaning of life, but was not able 
to understand it wholly. I could not tell whether it 
represented something taking place in the spiritual 
plane of my life or whether it represented trials in 
the physical plane. And I could not tell whether 
this friend was simply an appearance or a real being, 
or whether he was a spiritual friend or some one 
who was to appear in my life. And I could not tell 
whether the harmony and peace and rest was coming 
in this world or the next. But the real lesson of 
the experience was missed wholly : That this was a 
revelation of the power of the silence, and that look- 
ing up in the silence would carry me safely through 
every danger and trial, and that resting in the white 
silence would bring to me the deepest realization of 
God; that realization which so many seek and fail 
to find. I had revealed to me the city of Silence, 
and the white robe of purity put on every time I 
go, and my own white chamber where I go in the 
silence to commune with God. 

And some one either in the spirit or the flesh was 
traveling the path of development in the silence with 



38 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

me. I thought over it a good deal at the time and 
then forgot about it for long intervals. The odd 
thing about it is, that after it had all come true, for 
it did come true, I failed to recognize it as the ful- 
fillment of my visions, but still continued to wonder 
what was the meaning of them. I had to wait until 
I had grown to the meaning of it. 

And the meaning of the first experience of the 
night was a preparation that was to enable me to 
enter into the silence and see what was there, and 
also to give me power to work there, also the power 
to realize God's presence and the gift of life from 
him. And as the next journey will show, it enabled 
me to work with my friend, and evidently it was 
of great importance that I should co-operate with him. 

During these practices I developed a wondrous 
vitality and joyousness which revealed to me the 
nature of normal life, and the secret of it ; I was rest- 
ing my mind from all devitalizing thoughts for hours 
at a time, and rising to a higher thought-plane. 

I had never known what it was to be strong physi- 
cally or confident mentally, now, I experienced both. 
I felt so strong on my feet, and courageous enough to 
face the whole world. Herein is the key to health 
and strength of mind and body, and the revelation of 
the quality of pure life unchanged by man. 

T assure you that no abnormal pleasures coveted 
by man are worth the forfetiure of pure life; the 
sweetness, joyousness and freedom of it, and the 
thousand pleasures it brings which are all unknown 
to him who perverts life. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO T HE INVISIBLE." 39 

And mark the difference between the two — abnor- 
mal pleasures destroy and turn to torment, are ever 
dying, and losing their power to please. formal 
pleasures vitalize and bestow ever increasing health 
and joy. 

Here, too, is the gateway to youth and unlimited 
earth life : Perpetual vitalization in excess of devita- 
lization. 

Here was another lesson given to me objectively, 
which I failed to recognize. It is the mind that tires, 
not the tody. And whatever the condition of mind, 
it is reflected in the body. It is the same with dis- 
ease. To correct the condition of the mind is to 
correct the condition of the body. But it was years 
later before I grew to this knowledge. 

As previously stated it did not occur to me that 
my experiences were a series of lessons in mind 
sicence; I simply thought of it as a psychic condi- 
tion. Time and distance were also illustrated in 
this journey. Real time and distance are in the 
mind. We all know that it makes more difference to 
us whether time seems long or short, and distance 
near or far, than the artificial estimates that we use. 

Still another revelation in this experience was, 
that we do not have to go anywhere to he there; we 
simply become conscious of a place ; that is, our con- 
sciousness reaches to any place. I was conscious of 
my room and physical surroundings at the same 
time that I was traveling in the psychic plane. Of 
all the mind mysteries perhaps that is the least under- 



40 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

stood. The sensation of moving through space simply 
directs our consciousness ; extends to the desired place. 
Few people are able at this day to believe in a 
personal infinite being. They are not able to com- 
prehend how a being could be everywhere present. 
But when we consider what finite and but little de- 
veloped human beings can do, we can conceive of the 
possibility of the infinite consciousness. 



THE FOURTH JOURNEY. 

BREAXING THE SPELL AND A HEALING MISSION. 

After the second journey I was greatly relieved. 
"Now," I thought, "my experiences are finished and 
I shall be troubled no more by my strange visitor. 
Dreams sometimes, come three times, and I have had 
three experiences and now it is complete." 

I had one night's rest and the second night retired 
with an easy mind, but at two o'clock awaked to meet 
my strange friend. I objected to being taken off, 
but off we went. "This is different," he informed me. 

It was different; we seemed to be traveling about 
a city, visiting the sick and distressed; and at last 
mounted to an attic in an old tenement house, where 
an old woman lay dying. My companion ministered 
to her and soothed her as he had others, and closed 
her eyes after she was gone. "This is perfectly hor- 
rible," I declared, when we had made our way out of 
the old tumble-down place; "and I am not going to 
be taken on such excursions as this ; I should have 
the horrors all the time." 

"This is our work," my companion said; "you 
always desired to help people." 

"Yes, but not in this way; I am not equal to this 
way of working. If you want to help in this fashion, 
all right, but I am not going to," I told him, and my 
friend left me that night with the deepest feelings of 
sadness. 

41 



42 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE," 

Again there was a night of freedom, and then my 
midnight visitant. He was so sad when I refused 
to go that I consented. The visits were not so dread- 
ful as on the first night, but I could not endure it. 
Seeing that I would have to endure one of two things, 
this midnight visitor's grief over my refusals, or 
the continued visitations, I determined to get back 
to my natural self if there was any such thing pos- 
sible. Too much concentration had brought the ex- 
perience, then as less had no effect I would cease 
altogether, and make myself most material 
minded; it would be sweet to be just natural 
minded, rather than to be in this unnatural condi- 
tion. It was not natural and not right, so I thought, 
to be in any condition where I was compelled or over- 
persuaded by appeals to my sympathy. 

As the practice of putting all thoughts of the 
matter out of my mind did not suffice, I determined 
to lie awake the second night and see if it was possible 
to get through it without a visit from my unwelcome 
friend. I believed if a break could be made in the 
regularity of the visits that they could be banished 
altogether. So the first night I rested, an d on the 
second a friend came in with tickets for the theatre. 
This diversion would have been welcome for the sake 
of its superficial influence, if the play had been a 
pleasant one, but though I had not seen it, I gathered 
from the little knowledge I bad of it that it was a 
violent play, and I needed something soothing and 
strengthening instead of exciting and horrible. But 
I decided to take filings as they came, for there is a 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 43 

Providence in all things, and I still believed it. I 
am not sure, but it seems to me that the play was 
'The Prisoner of Zenda." I remembered but little 
of it ; the hero suffers himself to be taken for another 
person, who assumes his name. He is strongly 
tempted at times while suffering and in prison, to 
make himself known, but for the sake of the other 
holds firm. 

At one stage of his trials the curtain rises for a new 
scene, and there revealed to my astonished eyes were 
the words in large letters, "Thank God for the Power 
of Resistance." 

I could hardly believe my eyes. The words burned 
into my brain and shone as plainly after they 
vanished and the play went on. I felt a new strength, 
and walked back to the house with the words going 
over and over in my mind. It was for this, then, that I 
was taken to the theatre. I could not reconcile it 
with my Mental Science principle of non-resistance, 
but as Mental Science did not help me out, I ac- 
cepted this as a help sent to me in the extremity of 
my perplexity. "I determined to try it and wait 
for the understanding of it afterwards." 

So I did not try to think of it, but let it stand as 
it was, and let it strengthen me, and planned what 
to do. I kept my light burning all night, and 
retired at twelve. I propped myself up with 
pillows and began my midnight vigil, not allowing 
my mind to become quiet, for it is the 
quiet time just before sleep comes when these 
visions appear. Any one who has tried keeping 



44 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

awake, any one who is in the habit of falling asleep 
in about five minutes every night, can understand 
what it meant to me to keep awake. 

I kept my mind busy thinking over the play, and 
many other ordinary affairs of every-day life, my 
own and other people's. Time is always so brief 
with me, because my mind is always so interestingly 
occupied, but now it seemed endless. I got up every 
lit lie while and walked the room and looked out of 
the window, keeping myself awake until daybreak, 
when there were sounds of people about the street. 
I did not feel sure whether it was safe to go to sleep 
even then, but tried it, and slept untl nine o'clock, as 
sweet and peaceful as an infant. 

How rejoiced I was. I believed the charm was 
broken, for the regular night had passed without the 
visitation. The next night was ihe off -night, I wond- 
ered a little if possibly my change might not change 
the order of things, and my visitor appear on the 
nights when I was off guard. But all was well. With 
great interest I awaited the outcome of the second 
night, and did not try to keep awake this night, but 
w r ent to sleep as usual, and slept soundly till morn- 
ing. I was free once more. What a sensation! It 
was such a relief I wanted to run into the street and 
shout. 

The next night was again off night and nothing 
happened. The next night I went to sleep happily, 
but, alas ! T awoke hearing the clock strike one, and 
found myself drowned in a sea of deepest sorrow. 
I was not. surprised after this to presently see my 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 45 

tormentor approaching. But what had happened? 
He was a wreck of a being; old, wrinkled, decrepit, 
and appearing like one just out from a serious ill- 
ness. By his looks I never should have recognized 
him, but his presence assurred me it was he. I 
also realized that I had brought this change by re- 
fusing him. 

He came up slowly, took my hand gently, but did 
not raise his eyes. "What has happened?" I cried 
out, "What has happened to you ?" 

~No reply; the silence was more speaking than 
words. I called out again in great distress, and he 
said in a low voice, "Never mind ; we will not speak 
about it." 

"But I must speak about it." "Is it I that am 
the cause*?" 

He smiled a patient smile and answered, "I thought 
your love would free me, but you were always un- 
willing, and then you deserted me entirely. You 
could not trust me. Because you are a free spirit 
you could have freed me. There is a grand work for 
us when I am freed. But you are so afraid." 

It seemed that my heart was broken. I fell to 
weeping. The more I wept the deeper the grief 
seemed to sink. "Do not weep," my friend said 
several times, but I wept more and more. 

And presently I heard, "It is not too late." 

~Not too late? Then he was not ruined beyond 
repair. "What can I do?" I cried out; "only tell 
me, what can I do ?" 



46 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

"There is a great work to do," lie said, "and so 
much time lost. The way back is long. There is 
only one way — to regain what has been lost and then 
go on. If your love is great enough, follow, and 
do not doubt." 

I gave him my hand; "I do not understand why 
so much depends upon me, but I will follow you 
and will not fail, come what may." 

"All will be well if you trust me," he said, and 
vanished. 

The second night due, my visitor appeared again 
and took me away with him after first ashing my 
consent. "If I could only go with you without 
seeing," I said, it would be easier to bear; "it is too 
dreadful for me." 

A dimness came over my vision; objects turned to 
shadows. I was almost afraid of the shadows. But 
what was lost in sight was gained in realization, so 
that it was almost worse than seeing. The next night 
he came for me and asked me to accompany him, I 
consented on condition that I might not know what 
was taking place. 

A deeper darkness settled over me and sight, hear- 
ing and touch were gone. I simply knew where 
we were and that he was doing something to help 
people. 

A curious thing I have not thought to mention, was 
that in these visits the people never noticed my 
presence. They talked with him and blessed him, etc. 
I seemed to be invisible. I did not regret this and 
did not mention it. But there was something in this 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 47 

deep darkness that was unbearable. I seemed to be 
sunk down in a deep pit. It seemed like being buried 
alive. It frightened me; "What if I get down too 
deep and never can get out ?" My companion, who 
could always read my thoughts and feelings, after a 
time asked, "Do you still prefer to work without 
seeing, or knowing ?" 

Thinking it over, which was the most dreadful, 
my decision was to see and to know. If it was 
distressing it was natural ; I abhorred the unnatural, 
the uncanny. 

I was conscious of fingers gently removing some- 
thing from my eyes and my face, like a layer of black 
velvet. Then another layer and another and another, 
while my eyes were straining all the while to catch 
a glimpse of light. But it did not grow light. "I 
buried you very deep," he said, "to save you pain. 
It will take a long time to bring you up." 

The darkness suffocated me, and I could hardly 
keep from going distracted over it, and he worked so 
long! Just as the grey of dawn lighted my room 
window, I began to see a filmy light. 

Several nights after this when our work was done, 
my companion spent the remainder of the time bring- 
ing me back to the light. It seemed as though I was 
gradually rising from a deep pit. My sight was 
finally recovered, but was not as clear as before; 
something was different. 

I made no more complaints, but endured as best I 
could. I wondered whether this man really appeared 
in the flesh to people as he went about or whether he 



48 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

came to them in an inner way and they sensed a heal- 
ing and comforting presence. Whichever it was, it 
appeared that my super-conscious self accompanied 
him, and that I had unfortunately become conscious 
of my super-conscious self. I was willing for my 
other self to go about doing what good work 
it would, but did not wish to be conscious of it. 
One life was enough to live at a time. I wanted to 
rest, and wondered if my companion understood what 
had happened to me or if he knew only my super- 
conscious self. What a trouble would have been 
saved him, if I had not developed my senses in the 
super-conscious realm. 



THE LAST JOURNEY. 

THE FINAL TEST OF LOVE. 

He had been growing happier and happier, and 
on this night he came singing. I wondered uneasily 
what it portended. Almost gaily he took me off, 
and sang softly all the way. 

We soon came to a large house, and entered in our 
usual fashion, without any ceremony of knocking. 
We wandered from room to room without seeing any 
one. It was a pleasant house, and well furnished. 
"She is coming," said my companion, suddenly, "tell 
her you love me." 

"Who is coming ?" I asked, "and why should I tell 
her that I love you ?" It seemed to me that it would 
he more in place for him to tell her that he loved me. 

"Tell her you love me," he sang it, and repeated it 
over and over — '"Tell her, tell my wife that you 
love me." 

Shocked, horrified, I turned to him, but he was 
not beside me, he was receding; he passed out of 
the room, and still his voice came back to me, fainter 
and fainter as though he was leaving the house, "Tell 
her you love me." 

This being whom I looked upon as an angel of 
light, more than a human being, this soul, whom I 
had believed was all that was good and pure and 
true, and whom I had loved and trusted implicitly! 



50 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

I heard footsteps approaching, and hesitated, 
whether to See or remain. The singing tones still 
echoed through the house ; the utter guilelessness of 
the tones, the harmony they expressed, and the as- 
surance, made me feel that he was sincere, but the 
fact that he could feel justified in the course he 
had taken under the conditions of which I had just 
learned, was too overwhelming for my philosophy. 
I could believe in his conscientiousness, but not in 
his course of conduct, or his theory of life whatever 
it was. 

And then, how could I grieve the wife ? It was so 
terribly cruel and brutal to face her and tell her I 
loved her husband. Between fearing to disobey his 
instructions, and sorrow for the wife, I was heart- 
broken. I collapsed and wept hopelessly. I had 
heard a good deal of spirits coming to this world 
and separating husbands and wives ; telling them 
they were not for each other, and that they would 
be happier with some one else named. Indeed it 
seemed to be their principal business, and I had 
always thought of it with abhorrence, and had doubted 
whether spirits had anything to do with these 
separations, and if they were actually spirits, I had 
a very poor opinion of them. Now here I was, ac- 
tually a party in a case of this kind. I was tempted 
to believe my companion was a bad spirit, but T 
could not believe it. 

All this went through my mind in a flash while T 
was hearing the footsteps draw nearer and nearer. 



LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 51 



I was crouching on the floor, my face hidden in my 
hands, and weeping harder and harder as the inevit- 
able moment approached. The footsteps stopped. I 
did not look up or abate my tears. "Tell her you 
love me/' came the singing voice once more, to my 
horror. 

A merry laugh rang through the room ; a jubilant 
laugh; and then some one said, "Silly, silly child! 
What do I care V 

I looked up in great amazement. I saw a woman 
a little distance from me, bright-faced, rosy, laugh- 
ing. "What do I care ?" she repeated, "I love Alton.'' 
And she passed out of the room laughing. 

Though this episode revealed to me that the affairs 
of this man and wife were doubly miserable, yet I 
was immensely relieved ; the great burden of another 
woman's sorrow was removed from me, and the still 
greater burden of fearing that her husband had left 
her to grieve and made himself happy with another. 
I rose to my feet with the thought of finding my 
way out of this strange house. 

I wandered from room to room, but it was like a 
maze. At last I thought reproachfully of my com- 
panion, who had brought me here and left me to get 
out as best I could. Tired out, I sat down in one of 
the rooms and thought, surely he will come, he knows 
I cannot get out and he will come for me. I tried 
to wait patiently, listening for him to come. He 
came then. He seemed to know what I had experi- 
enced ; "You should have called me sooner," he said. 



52 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

I did not tell Mm that I had meant to get out 
alone and find my way home alone; that I wished to 
avoid him, but felt that he knew every thought of 
my heart. As he left me he said, "You see, all i3 
well." 

iSTo, .1 did not see that all was well, but remained 
silent. And I did not see for years after, the mean- 
ing of this experience, and then wondered why 
the explanation was not given me at the time, and 
why other experiences were not explained. But I see 
now, that I was fearing and judging, and that we 
cannot see the truth until we seek and trust. We can- 
not grow by being told, any more than we can learn 
to walk by being carried; I thought of it all as a 
psychic experience, and did not think and seek for the 
meanings until long afterward. Then I discovered that 
it was all a revelation ; a revelation of the laws that 
govern both the physical and mind worlds, and the 
revelation of my own life. 

All the time now my midnight companion was 
growing happier and happier. One night when he 
was due he did not appear as usual, which I thought 
strange and wondered what was to take place, or had 
taken place. 

I had not been growling happier; but had simply 
let things go on, waiting for something to help me 
out of my perplexities, and put an end to my ex- 
periences. 

Suddenly I felt a great rush of joy. Simultane- 
ously T saw him in the distance running down a hill- 
slope, toward me, his face glowing. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 53 

"He is free," I said, "he is free." 

He came toward me, reached me, clasped rne in his 
arms an instant as though to tell me the good news, 
and thank me for my part in it, and then vanished. 



THE RESTORATION. 

The following day I packed my grip and departed 
for a visit to an aunt who lived in a town a day's 
journey distant. When alLwas ready, I said, "Now 
my conscience is clear. You are freed; and I also 
am going to he freed. It is not right for me to be 
held as I have been; it is unnatural. I am going 
away and break it up if it is possible. I want to 
get back to my natural self. I have helped you 
and now you ought to help me. I am going to put 
you and all connected with you out of my mind and 
busy myself with all kinds of trivial things, such as 
other people do who live on the surface of life. That, 
with the change of place, will cure me if anything 
will. If it does not I shall be a miserable slave." 

"I hope you will think of me sometimes," said the 
inner voice I knew so well. 

"I will think of you for your success," was my 
reply. 

I hope yon will think of me for myself sometimes," 
came the voice again. 

"I don't know; I shall not dare until my mind is 
normal, then perhaps I may a little. But I never 
again will do what I have been doing in the way of 
concentration, for it is a mistake, and developed me 
in a way not intended." 

M 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 55 

"Think of me sometimes." 

I wondered if my aunt would notice anything dif- 
ferent about me, and if I did appear different 
in any way. "I will assume that I appear as usual," 
I said to myself, "for to think I am different is 
the way to be different." 

So I thought of myself as I was before I knew 
anything about concentration, and interested myself 
in every little thing about the house and my aunt's 
work. I did not read anything, but helped aunt 
about the house, crochetted and chatted and went 
shopping and made calls. 

One thing I did which I feared aunt would speak 
about, kept my light burning all night. She would 
notice how low the oil was. "I have had a notion 
lately," I said to her, "that I cannot sleep well 
without a light." 

I remained away three weeks, and had no trouble, 
gave up burning a light all night and all was well. 
I returned to my home ; there were no more psychic 
experiences. And after a time I could think of my 
super-conscious self's companion without fear, but 
spent no time over it. And after a long vacation 
from concentration I returned to it, but only prac- 
ticed it enough to illumine my mind and reveal truth 
to me. 



CONSUMMATION ON THE EARTH PLANE. 

One never-to-be-forgotten evening^ as I was sitting 
quietly in our cosy living room, both my sisters being 
out, the door softly opened and the friend of my 
visions stood before me. Not a vision or psychic body 
this time, but a body of this earth plane, like my own. 

There he stood, by the door, smiling, and waiting 
for a welcoming word. From utter amazement I was 
for a moment dumb, then it flashed into my mind — 
"Now I shall learn whether he was conscious of his 
psychic self as I was, or whether he knew nothing 
about it. I shall know by his manner and words, 
even if he does not mention it." Then I arose and 
walked calmly toward him and held out my hand ; 
"You are—" 

"Yes," he smiled, "I am the friend your uncle 
wrote to you about. I thought at first he had for- 
gotten to mention the day I was to call." 

As we seated ourselves opposite each other, with 
rather searching glances, I replied, "Uncle certainly 
did omit to name any day. You gave me a great 
surprise. I did not know you were in town." All 
the while I was speaking I was racking my brain 
to recall the contents of my uncle's letters. My 
thoughts flew ; whom had he mentioned ? I could 
recall no one that he had written anything speoial 
about. 

66 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 57 

The stranger drew from his pocket an envelope and 
proffered it. To my great relief it was a letter of 
introduction. 

"This is to introduce to you the son of my old 
college chum, Carroll Stanley, he was the truest friend 
I ever had. The highest compliment I can pay his 
son is to say that he is like his father. You know 
how many times I have spoken of persuading him 
to come this way. By securing a good position for 
him at Cobbler's and Hills of your town, I have at 
last succeeded. My interest in that firm will insure 
his advancement. I have sent him to you girls. Make 
him as welcome as you can ; don't let him get home- 
sick. He has never lived with strangers. Sorry I 
couldn't get away to-day to present him personally. 
I'll run out before long and see how you are get- 
ting on," 

Looking up from the persual of the letter, I 
met his gaze of happy assurance. "Your uncle is so 
kind," he said. "He brings back the memory of my 
father. It is many years since he passed on." 

He made a brief call and did not ask to see his 
room or inquire what were our terms for boarders; 
he simply remarked that he would send his trunk 
the next day and would take tea with us to-morrow 
evening. He paused at the door and raising his head 
as one taking a deep draught of delicious air, sent 
his glance about the room and then looked with a 
wondering expression into my face. "There is some- 
thing very peculiar about this room, and about you," 
he said, with a meditative expression; it seems as 



58 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

though I had heen here before ; the room is so familiar 
and home-like, and it has such a delightful atmos- 
phere; I can't describe it. And you — " 

He regarded me in the same slow, thoughtful way, 
"it seems as though I had always known you." 

"That is very fortunate," I replied ; "uncle is very 
solicitous about you. If it seems so home-like at the 
beginning I take it as a sign that you will not be 
homesick here." 

He seemed hardly to hear my words, but stood 
thinking, and wondering a little about it. I wish I 
could describe him as he looked standing there, but 
he is the one person whom it seemed to be impossible 
to give another any correct idea of in words, because 
it was not the physical body, but the soul looking out 
and shining through that one saw when they looked 
at him. He was unusually tall and rather slender 
for his height, but the soul looking out and shining 
through gave substance to his body and caused him 
to appear to be a more substantial physical being 
than he really was. He had the grave, sweet smile 
of a soul at peace with himself, with God and with 
the world. This smile sparkled at times, over some 
pleasantry or special enjoyment. 

My sisters were pleased with our new friend, prin- 
cipally because he was so quiet and unobtrusive, and 
always so sunny and thoughtful, but they told me 
privately that he was a little too serious, a little too 
quiet for their taste. This was well for their peace 
of mind and for his, because he singled me out 
from the other two from the first. Being the eldest 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 59 

and plainest, I thought may be it was that I seemed 
more motherly and he felt freer with me, but it 
proved to be because our tastes were so much alike, 
our views of life, our aspirations. We seldom dis- 
agreed, and then only on very minor points. 

He attended faithfully to business, but outside of 
business hours he was always planning what he could 
do for various people, and what he wanted to do in 
the way of helping along various reforms, and espe- 
cially was he interested in helping people to live 
for physical and moral health. "If you could be ex- 
actly what you most desire to be, what would you be ?" 
I asked him at one time, after one of our long con- 
versations. 

Instantly he replied, "I would be a great healer." 

By questioning I discovered that he had practiced 
quite a little and with remarkable success. He had 
for several years been reading >Tew Thought literar 
ture, and he said it had perfected all his ideals of 
life, and when he met me and found I had the same 
views and ideals, he was over-joyed. 

Standing on the boundary line between the two 
worlds in which I had lived, I often trembled at his 
remarks and thought the hour of revelation had ar- 
rived, I never helped him, but on the contrary, 
turned his thoughts in other directions, away from 
the invisible, to the practical external world. I 
feared the awakening of the inner life to the con- 
sciousness of the higher world ; I remembered. Yet 
I had a strong desire to know whether it was possible 
for him to know and to remember what I remembered. 



60 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

If I had never met him on the physical plane it 
would always have been a question whether my ex- 
periences were purely within my self or whether I 
actually met a kindred soul. Having met him on 
the physical plane it would be a great comfort and 
verification to me if he also remembered. 

On day when we had been unusually quiet and 
thoughtful, he began to relate as one who shrinks from 
making a confidence, yet longs to share it with 
another, peculiar experiences, or rather sensations. 
"Sometimes," he said, it seems as though I had been 
away when I really haven't. I can almost seem to 
remember about it. I can sense that I was in another 
place, and I can almost recall the people there, but it 
always eludes me. Had you ever anything like that 
in your consciousness V 

Instead of answering his question I laughed a little 
as though I thought it odd, and asked lightly, "Did 
you ever see me there ?" 

He gave me a long look; "I will tell you what I 
think," he said, "I think that wherever I am, you 
are there. I believe that our souls are so blended that 
no power on earth or in any other world can 
separate us." 

At those words a great fright took possession of 
me ; we were out in the garden seated under a giant 
catalpa tree. It was the sunset hour and the black 
shadow of the tree stretched far out across the lawn. 
It seemed to me that if I ran beyond that shadow I 
should escape from everything strange and uncanny. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 61 

But at the same time I slioiild separate myself from 
my friend. I cowered against the trunk of the tree 
and hid my face in my hands. 

"Why, Lily Bell !" he exclaimed, "what is it that 
frightens you so? It cannot be that it is putting 
what is, into words. We have long recognized our 
kinship; it is no strange or sudden thought." 

"It is that your heaven is so much higher than 
mine, your life so much grander. I am not equal to 
it; I could not live it." 

It was his turn to look startled now; startled and 
puzzled. "But your heaven is mine and mine is 
yours, and our lives are one ; that is what is so beauti- 
ful about it." 

"You are only on the threshold of your real life," 
I answered him, "so far we have gone on together; 
beyond the threshold I am not equal to it. I know, 
for I have tried it." 

He smiled then, "I shall travel no farther beyond 
the threshold than you can walk beside me." 

"Your work will be first," I sighed, "and you will 
sacrifice yourself and me and everybody and every- 
thing for your work." 

"You will always be my first and most precious 
work," he said taking both my hands in his and 
looking down at me. "Love begins at home, you 
know, and radiates. It is a great mistake to let the 
hearth fire die and go out with a torch to light the 
world. That is cold cheer. It is the happy hearth 
fire that warms and brighten this old world. Home, 
family, friends, and then beyond. That is the way." 



62 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE. 



What could I have the heart to say after that? 
But I did make one last appeal, "You will be a great 
healer, and you will go into dreadful places and you 
will want me to go with you, and it will make you 
so sad if I refuse, and it will be so terrible for me 
if I go. I can see how it will be. Some grander 
woman might glory in going, some woman as grand 
as you are." 

Then he laughed and took me in his arms, and 
little rills of comfort and content stole all through 
me. "I shall always be a healer, though I may not 
be a great one, and wherever I go you will be there 
with me, for you are enthroned in my heart and I 
cannot go without you. Your love and your sympathy 
and your understanding will accompany me and 
strengthen me and sweeten every sad duty and help 
me to put joy into it. Do you understand V 

In a flash it came to me; my sub-conscious self 
would go with him, but I would know nothing of it 
except through my love and sympathy and what he 
chose to tell me. My sub-conscious self was now 
normal and would not trouble me. 



Our honeymoon was a business trip to Florida. I 
recalled my vision and wondered if I was really to 
see the beautiful estate that had so charmed me. We 
were to go "over the road," stopping in the principal 
cities and towns. 

We started with a horse and buggy, but the second 
morning f found an auto a waiting us. Then it came 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 63 

to me why in my vision I had seen a horse when we 
started and after a while could not see it. 

At our journey's end we passed into a long avenue 
of palms, and then, to my amazement and delight I 
found myself in the very place, and the same old 
man came out and greeted us. He proved to be Car- 
roll's uncle, He had wished to give me a surprise, 
so had not told me about him. 

We could remain here only a few hours, greatly to 
my regret, and the uncle seeing how loth I was to go 
said kindly, "You will come again." 

"Yes," said Carroll," another year we will plan 
to make a visit here." So it seemed that my visions 
were literal revelations of my life, as well as lessons 
for my instruction. 

When we came out into the grand avenue of palms, 
there was no auto in sight. Carroll led me down the 
winding foot-path toward the river. I had made 
some objections to taking a long trip in an auto, but 
now was quite dismayed. 

"Oh ! I am more afraid of the water than the auto," 
I replied. 

"I am used to boats, trust me, there is nothing to 
fear. And the sunset on the liver will be magni- 
ficent." 

The sunset was magnificent and the river as beauti- 
ful as a dream, but when the river widened and the 
shadows lengthened, and a sudden breeze sprang up 
and rocked the frail boat I recalled with terror my 
vision. "There is going to be a gale, can't we land 
somewhere ?" I asked him. 



64 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

"This is nothing," he said, a just a little puff. We 
want to reach M — to-night." 

I arranged the cushions comfortably and settled 
down to make the best of it. I fell asleep after it 
grew so dark I could not see Carroll, and I dreamed 
the experiences of my vision. When I awoke Carroll 
said I would enjoy the evening better for my little 
siesta. I did not tell him how dreadful it was. We 
were floating through bright moonlight now and I 
could see the shores quite plainly. Each landing we 
came to I hoped was the one where we were to stop, 
bnt it was daylight before we landed. I was thankful 
to set foot on solid land, but my pleasure was short- 
lived, for we were there only about an hour. We 
made several landings. I wished we might rent some 
pretty furnished cottage instead of going to a hotel 
or boarding place, and we looked at a number at the 
places where we landed, but none of them suited Car- 
roll, though I would have been glad to stop almost 
anywhere. 

It was night again when we made our final land- 
ing. It was a dim, white, silent little city; I caught 
glimpses of several shadowy forms. Before we 
entered the city I noticed what looked like gates in 
the distance, but as we drew near, the gates resolved 
into piles of lumber. Carroll said that a bridge was 
being built across flic river. 

All the houses were dosed, for it was midnight, but 
at last a door opened and a man looked out as though 
he expeeled some one. He held a lighted candle in 
Ms hand, and over his arm I saw something white. 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 65 

It proved to be the home of a friend of Carroll's, 
and they were crowded in the tourist season and let 
every available nook in the house. They had hard 
work to save us a room, and it was on the top floor, 
as we started to ascend, the friend laughingly tossed 
a piece of the white drapery over Carroll's shoulder 
and another over mine. "Your suit-case did not 
come," he said, "so wife sent you these wearables." 

I was so tired of moving about that I could hardly 
endure the thought of a long climb up flights of stairs, 
and was so thankful when we finally reached the 
top floor and the friend turned a key and let us into 
a room. I gave one glance and noted that it was 
immaculately white and then dropped onto the 
couch too weary even to think. 

"Rest now," I heard Carroll say, faintly, for I 
was nearly asleep. It seemed to me that I slept a 
long time, a deep, most restful and sweet sleep. Then 
I awoke and wondered where I was; we had been 
changing about so mach I could not recall im- 
mediately. I looked about the room and then turned 
to look at the opposite side. There was a white 
chiffonier beside the couch, and on it some light re- 
freshments ; a plate and cup. 

I turned to look at Carroll, he was sleeping so 
peacefully I had not the heart to wake him, but while 
hesitating he opened his eyes. "How kind your 
friends are," I said, "they think of everything," and 
reaching up took down the cup and plate. "One 
cup and one plate," I remarked, "that is odd; I 
suppose it is all they could spare." 



66 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

With a thrill I recalled my vision, and half ex- 
pected to see a hand reach down and take away the 
plate and cup. 

"More likely/ 7 said Carroll, this lnnch was sent 
here for the person who occupied the room before 
we arrived." 

However it was, we were ver y thankful for it, and 
we slept again until the friend knocked at the door 
in the morning. I sighed to myself to think of all 
the long journey we must take to return home, and 
was greatly relieved when I heard the friend say, 
"Sorry to hurry you off, but if you must take the 
first train, you will have to leave immediately." 

I would have liked to see something of the litcle 
white city, but we hustled off in the dim daylight. 
When we go to visit Carroll's uncle, may be we can 
stop here again. 

Thinking over this journey after reaching home, 
I realized that the only unpleasantness had been my 
fears. And I see now that the ]esson of the journey 
was to teach me that the Infinite Father provides the 
good and the beautiful, and that what there is of 
the opposite we create ourselves. In those duplicate 
journeys it was shown to me objectively, but now I 
see the working of the law, and how we actually create 
conditions contrary to life and suffer from them. 
Carroll sees it too, but it is difficult to get others 
to see it, we have to grow to it. And first to seek it. 

My husband did become a healer by profession at 
last. He had great power, and he always said that 
T was his inspiration and support. And he was 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." C7 

to me; he was never too busy or two absorbed to 
remember me; my welfare, my comfort, my happi- 
ness, even my pleasure, was always uppermost in 
his mind. My weaknesses and faults were scarcely 
large enough to be taken account of. He laughed at 
me for making so much of them. And when I pro- 
tested that he did too much for me, he said that his 
only regret was that he could never do half enough. 
"I owe everything to you," he said, "all that I am, 
all that I have accomplished, all that I have enjoyed." 

"Why! how can that be," I cried in amazement, 
"when we have known each other such a short time ?" 

"I lived with my ideal wife in thought ; I had her 
always in mind ; I wanted to live so that I might be 
worthy of her. And she was always helping me in 
my ideal work. Why, I pictured her so distinctly at 
times, that it was almost as real as seeing you in 
the flesh when I met you. 

"I really supposed that I should never meet you in 
this world, for my ideals were so different from the 
ordinary. I thought no woman would be willing to 
live them. Then I met you and discovered that you 
held the same ideals, and with as little hope of find- 
ing a kindred soul. 

I used to say to you, in my mind, "Our love is 
one, our work is one, we shall never be separated. 
If you are in this world and are working with me as 
I am with you, we shall become visible to each other 
on the earth-plane some day. If you are not here, I 
shall meet you in the next plane of existence." 



68 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

"Oh ! I know now," I cried, "I know now why you 
came to me as you did. And I see what the work was 
that I was helping you to do ; it was first to make us 
visible to each other on the earth plane and then to 
materialize the life on the earth that we had already 
lived on the soul plane. I have read that everything 
that takes place here, first takes place in the soul 
plane ; now I understand how it is. And I see that 
God gives us happy lives, and that we create our own 
troubles. I could have had a delightful journey all 
the way to the White City, if it had not been for 
my doubts and fears." 

He was so mystified and amazed that I had to tell 
him my experience. "I had no business knowing any- 
thing more about that than you had," I said, when he 
expressed regret that his super-conscious self had 
given me so much trouble "it was my own fault ; you 
could not help it, and I knew no better, but I learned 
a great deal, and now that it is all over, and out-lived 
I would not have missed it for worlds." 

"It has made some things real that I never could 
realize — space and time and presence and place, and 
the working laws of the higher thought world, and 
how thought creates, and how Ave prevent our real 
lives from coming in the beautiful ways God planned 
for us. Oh! what might I not have experienced if 
T had possessed understanding and faith ! 

"And all those lonely years — if I had understood, 
or lived as you lived, we might have met at that 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 69 

"ISTo," he said, "for I was married at that time. 
I had come to think, as I told yon, that I should not 
meet my ideal here, and I married a very dear friend 
who was unhappily situated and needed me. We 
were happy together, though neither was the other's 
ideal. It is five years since she passed on to the 
higher plane." 

So it was explained to me the meaning of my visit 
to the strange house and the woman I met there. 
I was seeing what was then, and what would he when 
I met him on the earth plane. 

That is the way we all keep ourselves from realiz- 
ing our ideal, our real life ; our doubts and fears and 
unbeliefs, our false beliefs, superstitions and pre- 
judices compel us to wander many years in the earth 
wilderness suffering many things, instead of march- 
ing straight to the promised land. 

If we would be taught of God, instead of placing 
our faith entirely in man's teachings, if we would 
listen for the inner voice instead of man's, we might 
find the higher knowledge and wisdom and live such 
different lives. 

To seek truth with a pure mind, for the purpose 
of living it, that is the Way. To ask for the mean- 
ings and to listen for the answer, instead of fearing 
and doubting and complaining. Everything that 
comes into our lives is a revelation; it is telling us 
something. Something that explains life, and some- 
thing that will help us to live more wisely. 

Few of us live to realize our real life in this world ; 
by wrong thinking and living we put ourselves out of 



70 "LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 

the world before we have learned how to realize. 
Everything in the world is a revelation if we had eyes 
to see and ears to hear. We have no need to travel 
into the mind or soul plane. All we need is illumina- 
tion, so that we may interpret what we see here. 

I had always feared to tell my husband of my 
psychic experiences for fear (fear again) that he 
would want me to practice for more, which I never 
could do, but he was a true soul-mate, and had no 
interest in it; he thought as I did that mental 
illumination was preferable, and soul realization 
more desirable than psychic phenomena ; understand- 
ing superior to object lessons. 

We agreed not to tell anyone else of these experi- 
ences, thinking curious minds would be turned 
toward us, but at last it came to us that the narrative 
might be of much help to others, so many have become 
interested in higher thought planes, and so many by 
unwise practices have injured their minds and in 
some cases lost control of them. 

I had written it all down at the rime it occurred, 
and had always kept it hidden away, many a time 
taking it out thinking to burn it, fearing some one 
might find it in some unexpected way, but something 
always withheld me, a strong impression that the 
record should be kept. Tt will nor excite the comment 
it once would, for so much is published these days 
of psychic experiences; So now it is brought to light 
and given into trusted hands, to be sent on its mis- 
sion to comfort and instruct; to forewarn and fore- 
arm; to show how thoughts create; how wrong 



"LITTLE JOURNEYS INTO THE INVISIBLE." 71 

thoughts create all our unhappy experiences — sick- 
ness, trouble, unsatisfactory lives — and how right 
thoughts co-operate with life, permitting our real life 
to come unhindered in its beauty and joy. 

xind from this record may be learned what and 
where is the Fourth Dimension. It is the dimension 
of the thought world, which is the creator of the 
physical world. It is the world which this 
physical world objectifies or pictures forth, as the 
human body objectifies or makes visible the human 
soul. Everything that isSrst created in the thought 
world. The thought world has practically limitless 
dimensions, including all in the physical, and is 
limited only by the thought of the thinker. It is the 
over-soul, pervading, operating, surrounding and 
radiating to and from the physical world. 

All is born first in this Fourth Dimension — vege- 
table, animal and human — and descends into the 
physical world to grow in this beginning place, in 
knowledge, and consciousness of Being and its world. 
Individual soul is created in the soul plane, descends 
into the Fourth Dimension and from there to the earth 
plane, and here finds itself by gaining consciousness 
of itself and the physical world little by little ; first 
the physical, then the mental, then the soul world. 
We learn in a crude way by experience, but farther 
on we learn by illumination, insight and under- 
standing. 

M. Giffobd Shine. 



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78 



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74 



OCT 









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